“Let him stay happy in Barcelona” - Mario Kempes explains why he was in favour of Lionel Messi retiring in 2016
Former Argentina striker Mario Kempes has explained why he wanted his compatriot and Barcelona legend Lionel Messi to retire in 2016.
Shortly after Argentina lost the 2016 Copa America final to Chile, their third final defeat in as many years, Messi contemplated international retirement but would soon do a U-turn.
Five years later, he won his first international trophy with the Albiceleste by winning the Copa America. A year later, in Qatar, a bigger prize followed, as Messi and Co. dethroned defending champions France on penalties to end a 36-year-old World Cup drought.
Explaining Messi's 2016 decision to leave international football, 1978 World Cup winner Kempes told Infobae (via GOAL) that his compatriot was frustrated with criticism for his international travails despite flourishing with Barcelona:
“You have to respect everything. When Messi resigned, I said it was fine. If he lost, it was his fault. ... There came a time when I said 'what's the point?' Why are you going to ruin your life by coming to Argentina?'
"He does everything he has to do, everything turns out well for him, but not for the national team, and that bothers him. And I said 'let him not come again, let him stay happy in Barcelona'.
However, Messi's international fortunes turned for the better when his namesake, Lionel Scaloni, arrived at the Albiceleste helm. Kempes noted:
"But one day the tables turned, he found a new coach, a new team, and there he began to enjoy himself and won the Copa America and the World Cup. The same thing happened with Scaloni, without experience, a substitute coach.
"He started to do things well, they left him alone, he became champion and now he said ‘gentlemen, respect me’. If he wants to leave, he goes, and if he wants to stay, he stays. There must be some problems that we don't know about.”
Messi has 106 goals and 56 assists in 180 appearances for Argentina, all three being record tallies.
How Barcelona legend Lionel Messi fared in international football in 2023
Lionel Messi - who first made his name at Barcelona during a stellar near two-decade stint - is coming off an impressive year with Argentina.
The Inter Miami attacker played eight games, scoring as many times and also providing an assist. Three of those goals have come in La Albiceleste's ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying campaign, where they are atop the standings with five wins from six games.
Lionel Messi is a bonafide Barcelona legend, bagging 672 goals and 303 assists in 778 games across competitions. He won big titles galore, including 10 La Liga and three UEFA Champions League.